


Nili Stormblessed and Evi Kholin

by myshipsareendgame



Series: Stormlight Academy [1]
Category: Cosmere - Brandon Sanderson, SANDERSON Brandon - Works, Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2020-12-28 18:36:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21141329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myshipsareendgame/pseuds/myshipsareendgame
Summary: *Formerly named Nili, the summary was edited*10 years after the events of Oathbringer, Navani decides to become a teacher and Kaladin's adopted daughter ends up in her class. What happens when his daughter faces the challenges of being born a dark eyes? What happens when she meets Evi Kholin, the daughter of Shallan and Adolin Kholin? Will Kaladin be able to keep his daughter away from the challenges life will throw at her?When the confident and wise Evi meets the shy Nili, will they get along or will something come in between them?One thing is for sure though- the story of Nili Stormblessed and her friends is only beggining.





	1. Nili

Navani always liked spending time with children, as long as they listened and didn't scream of course. Other than that, she loved her work. She loved the way she could focus on one drop of ink and then one letter, then one word, then one sentence and, in the end, a whole ketek. She loved how much she seemed to find peace when she imagined things, useful things that she would always make a drawing of, of course. She loved being a scholar, to be short.

So when she had a thought about giving classes to daughters of Highprinces and other well respected generals, it seemed like a good idea. She made an agreement with her daughter- four times a week, for three hours, a part of the library room would be occupied by Navani and her students. These students would be ones that show the most progress in their regular lessons. They would learn about geography, history, mathematics, proper writing and such. And Navani decided- she will be the best teacher this kingdom has ever heard of.

* * *

* * *

It has been three months since her classes began. It's been going quite well and the girls are very polite, already move with grace and each one of them has a special skill in one subject. Her classes are usually attended by about fifteen girls, most around the age of ten. Or were mostly around that age. Because yesterday, while she was finishing grading a paper on the history of Alethkar, a familiar face approached, his hands wrapped around a smaller one.

"Brigntess? I hope we're not interupting anything important", Captain Kaladin said. Beside him was a short, skinny, black haired girl. The girl Stormblessed decided he wanted to become a father to. Apparently he made the decision a couple of months ago, but he only introduced her to Dalinar twice and once to Navani. Adolin and Shallan know her a lot more than the two of them, they wanted to share parenting tips on how to raise a daughter. Navani could have done the same, but then again, she didn't have much time these days and besides, she wouldn't be able to give tips on how to raise a girl who didn't resent their parent at the age of six.

"No, Captain. What brings you here?" she asked taking off her spectacles. Her age was catching up to her, not that she would ever say that out loud...

"I was wondering if your teachings had space for another little girl?" he asked. Navani parted her lips and looked at his daughter. She didn't know what to think of her. She didn't seem older than seven years old. All the other girls were either nine or ten. It didn't seem like she would fit well with others, but then again, she couldn't let herself judge a book by it's cover. She stood up from the chair she was sitting in and crouched in front of her.

"Your name is Nili, correct? How old are you Nili?" Navani asked. "Seven, brigtness", Nili answered. _Just as I thought_.

"Nilli, why don't you take some colors and draw something intersting while I talk to your father?" she told her, passing some paper. Nili took a seat at one of the tables and started drawing something that looked like an axehound.

Navani waved for Kaladin to take a chair. The two sat facing each other.

"Captain, I have no doubt you daughter has intelligence, but I am afraid she wouldn't fit in my class", she said. "Is it because of her being a dark eyed?" Kaladin asked. "Captain, you are one of the most respected people on Roshar, I doubt that your daughter's eye color would be a problem," she began with a chuckle, "but I'm afraid that she still won't be able to be in these classes. My girls are older than her and I'm not sure if she'd fit in quite well."

"I know, Brigtness, but... this child is something special. She's very shy and she hasn't talked to many people besides me, Bridge Four and Adolin and Shallan. Shallan has tought her to write properly and basic maths and Adolin teaches her stances when he finds the time. She's never even met their kids."

"And I take it, she lives with you in the Bridge Four barracks?"

"Yes, and I know it's not usual, but it's working for now. But the thing is, that's how we found out she really has something special." he explained. Navani raised an eyebrow at him. "She wanted to help Sigzil count our monthly expenses and she ended up getting the correct number in seconds. I noticed these things as well and I already took her to the Queen and she said she has potential if she can do simple math better than many who are older than her."

Navani considered his words for a moment, but quickly came to a decision. "Well then, I suppose I have no reason not to ler her in, besides the age problem. My daughter is rarely wrong, so I suppose you can bring little Nili tommorow for class. Just like everyone else, she will be here four days a week, for three hours a day. If she doesn't show much progress in two weeks, I'm afraid she's going to have to wait two years or so to be here. Either way, I'm expecting her here tomorrow'', she finished with a smile. The Captain nodded with a pleased smile and took his daughter by her hand as they walked away.

Navani returned to grading the papers, but she did sneak a glance sideways to find Kaladin crouching in front of his daughter as she giggled while showing him what she drew.

* * *

* * *

"Kaladin, I don't know why you're making me go there. I'm already learning everything I need to know! I have highprince Kholin teaching me fighting stances, B Four has taught me katas and you've started teaching me how to use a spear. An-and Highprincess Kholin herself has taught me how to write and gave me colors to express my feelings. Why do I have to go?!" Nili asked Kaladin. It was so early in the morning... At least she could rest a bit while she sat on Kal's back while he did push-ups.

"Because a seven year old can't only have knowledge of fighting and putting color on a paper. You need to learn some new stuff too."

But why, why did she have to learn it in a place where she didn't know anyone? The truth was that she was really scared, like more scared than she was when a monster was under her bed and she had Kaladin scare it away. More scared than she was when she tripped and had Kaladin take care of her leg. Kaladin always takes care of her. He's always with her. And now something bad might happen to her and Kaladin won't be there. Kaladin always saved her, like the time he saved her the night her house burned down and her mama died. This time, her savior won't be there. "I know, but I don't know if I'm smart enough to be there."

Kaladin immediately threw her off himself. "Oh! What was that for?" she asked him.

"That is what you get when you doubt in yourself. Nili, I'm not going to tell you all about life yet, but I need you to know that there is a much greater chance of you failing if you doubt yourself then when others doubt in you. The moment you lose faith in yourself is the moment your chance of succes starts to fall percent by percent. And I know how much you already know about percents", he raised his eyebrows suggestively and took her small hands in his. " Which is why I, Kaladin Stormblessed, Knight Radiant of the order of Windrunners , Captain of Bridge Four-"

"B Four! Kaladin we said that we call it B Four from now on!" Nili argued.

"Fine! Captain of B Four and last, but not least, proud father of Nili Stormblessed, most beautiful, smart and awesome seven year old there is, have no doubts that you are smart enough to be in a class with older girls", he finally finished. Storms. She's not allowed to say bad words, but storms! Losing her mama was sad, she remembers how much she cried for weeks, but somehow becoming Kaladin's daughter was the best thing that happened to her. And besides, your last name being Stormblessed is kind of awesome, so she got lucky with that one.

Kaladin got up for and looked at the big time fabrial on the wall. "Uh-oh. Nili, grab my coat and your bag, we're going to be late."

"What? What about my hair?" she said nervously. "Uhh... We're taking inspiration from Brightness Shallan Kholin today. You're just going to have to let it down. Besides the wind would ruin any braids anyway", he told her. _The wind means they're going flying! Oh this is the most amazing day!_

* * *

* * *

_This is not the most amazing day._ Brightness Navani was a bit late, but everyone else was here. There was a girl sitting next to her in the most beautiful of all dresses, but it was like she didn't notice Nilli- she hadn’t looked up from the book she's reading. Everyone else seemed very unfriendly. All the girls kept staring at her, some were even laughing.

Nili took out her colors and paper to do something while they all waited for their teacher. She was just about to finish coloring a chicken she saw while she and Kaladin were flying to school when she noticed one of her colors were mising. She reached in her bag, but that color wasn't there. She looked up when one of the girls burst out laughing. A girl with long black hair held her her color in her hands. "Are you looking for this?" she asked. "Uh, yes, thank you, actual-" she stopped when the girl broke her color in two. Everyone else started laughing. Everyone except the strange haired girl beside her who seemed to finally notice what was happening around her.

"You don't seem to react. That's good, now we know that those below us have learned to not complain," she was slowly walking towards Nili's table. The table she had all her colors on. _Oh no, please no! _

"I wonder would you react... if I broke another!" She reached her hand towards another color, but a hand grabbed her wrist. It was the girl sitting besides Nili. She had very unusual hair- it was mostly blonde with red and black stripes. It was shiny and very beautiful in it's special way. She also seemed to take inspiration from Brightness Shallan Kholin's hairstyle, her hair dropped all the way down her back. She had very pretty blue eyes and a few freckles around her cheeks.

"I wonder if you would react if I told you to storm off? Hm?" she told the black haired girl. _Oh my! She used bad words!_ All the other girls gasped, but looked amused. _What is going on in here?_

"Ah, Evi Kholin... Didn't anyone teach you that's not how ladies talk?" she said to the girl sitting beside Nili, Evi is what she's called apparently. "It's a good thing I don't want to be one then, Mina", Evi smiled gently at the girl whose name was Mina.

"Did your Westener father tell you that you can do that? Did he tell you you can act as free as your mother seems to act amongst true Alethi women?" Mina kept asking Evi. Nilli just wanted to hide in a hole. She was in a middle of a fight that started because of her. Evi rose from her chair and looked right into Mina's eyes.

"You see Mina, my Westener father didn't tell me neither of those things. But he did tell me to be kind to people based on who they are and not what they are, something that clearly hasn't been told to you because it seems like every word coming out of your mouth is spiteful. As for the insults against my parents, I believe _your_ father won't be pleased to know you made public insults against Adolin and Shallan Kholin. And I think that _my _grandfather won't be so pleased to find out that you offended the daughter of one of his most important Knight Radiants, because the little one besides me is the daughter of Kaladin Stormblessed." Evi said. Nili smiled as she heard the gasps of girls around her. Evi noticed Brightness Navani coming their way. It seemed like she didn't notice what was happening.

"As you may see, my grandmother is about to start our classes in a few minutes so I will keep it short- anybody who insults this girl will be making an insult against house Kholin and I trust you girls aren't stupid enough to mess with that" she told everyone.

And everyone was silenced. _How did she do that? That was amazing! This girl is so brave!_

Mina was about to leave when Evi grabbed her wrist again. "As for you, I'm sure it's nice to be in that dream in which it's alright to be rude to someone for no reason, but it's wake up time. The world is changing and so should you. Otherwise you'll die in that sleep of yours." Evi let go of Mia's wrists, but the two kept looking at each other. "Choices, dear", Evi finished with a smirk. Finally, she took a seat next to Nilli.

"Good morning Brightness Navani!" the girls said in sync. "Good morning girls. Please forgive me for being late, my husband and I had some uh... unanounced buissnes of ours this morning", she chuckled. Nili thought she heard Evi mutter 'gross' beside her.

"Let this be your first lesson of the day- always be on time, but have some understanding when people are late. And speaking of first lessons, we have a new student with us today. Nili, would you like to introduce yourself?" she asks.

Suddenly everyone was looking at her. She felt so small, so tiny, so easy to be squashed. "Uhm, I guess. My name is Nili Stormblessed and I'm seven." She waved at the girls around her. It was completely normal for her, but all seemed to hold in loads of laughter. Was there something so terribly wrong about Nili? Something so incredibly funny?

She remembered how Kaladin explained how everyone here is special smart about something. _Maybe it would be good to talk about that? _

"And I'm good with numbers, I guess", she finished. Navani switched from searching through a pile of papers and looking at Nili. "That is alright, Nili. Now girls, I would like you to take your history papers that I have graded and put my notes on."

Nili didn't pay attention to what Navani was saying next because she turned her attention toward the girl she was sitting next to. Evi didn't look older than ten years old, but there was something that made Evi seem older than all of them. She was beautiful. It was simple, she had this unique beauty- that hair, the skin, those freckles. And it wasn't just the way she looked. It was also the way she spoke- with the confedence that Nili could never have, especially not in front of these girls.

She better keep her around then. "Thanks for earlier, by the way." Evi turned her head from reading the book from the begining of the class. "It was no problem", she returned with a smile. "I'm Evi Kholin, by the way. I knew about you for some time, my spear trainer brags a lot about his daughter", she says. Nili immediately blushed because she was too shy to meet all the kids Kal told her to. "Well, now that we now each other, I hope this can be the start of a very good friendship, don't you?" she says, pulling some papers and ink from her bag.

"Yes, of course, a great friendship it is."


	2. Evi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Learn what the Kholin family has been up to!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this lil family.

* * *

"One hundred ninety-seven, one hundred ninety-eight, one hundred ninety-nine...", Evi counted the words, "and two hundred!" Finally, she finished her "two hundred words story" assigment after an hour of work. She was actually pretty good with words, but grand-mother said she couldn't write about any of her original ideas. Apparently, a story about a monster that eats children on their birthdays isn't appropriate for her age. She eventually decided upon writing the "appropriate" story, it was simply a shame it took her so long to get the idea for it.

After finishing collecting the papers, she went to the Kholin main room for supper. Every important family had a main room- it was a room which all members of their family shared to eat and lounge in. The room had pathways to all of their separate rooms, though she shared her room with her siblings. 

"I can't keep fighting with Aladar on this, we need to build more homes for the common people in need. If we're in a position of ruling, it means we're in a position of helping", she heard her father say. He sat at one of the sofas next to mother, who was tangling her fingers in his hair. "I'm sure it will be all right gemheart..." she told him gently.

"Is the diner ready?" she asked them. They both turned their heads to her.

"Uh, yeah, we've been waiting for you to come, actually. We didn't want to start without you", Shallan told her. Evi _was_ only ten, but people already said she looked like her mother. It was a compliment for her. They had the same blue eyes, though Evi's skin was a bit darker than the pale skin her mother had. Other than that the only difference was in their hair- Evi's hair was a long, wavy, mix of colors while Shallan's was a completely dark red, with a bit of volume at the end.

"Daddy, we're hungry! Are we going to eat soon?", Kala asked from beside the fireplace where she was playing with their brother, Tenadal. "Yes, your sister came so clean up the toys and come to the table my favorite children!", father answered.

"Hey! That's not fair- I'm your firstborn, shouldn't I be your favorite?", Evi argued ploping into a chair at the table."Oh, you were until this morning when I didn't receive my good-morning hug from you, unlike your brother and sister who spent all morning with me." She looked at Kala and Tenadal who were sticking their tongues out. Storming siblings...

Once they all had their seats, the food was brought out and they started their dinner. “Evi, I’ve been so hungry , why couldn't you finish your story sooner?", Tenadal asked stuffing some pork with curry in his mouth. He was two years younger than her and he truly looked like a copy of their father. Evi was completely sure that her brother was what their father looked like when he was eight years old.

"Mommy said it's because she didn't have any ideas Tenny", Kala said, taking a bite of her fruit. Her looks were a mix of both their parents. Evi thought they had a nice pattern done there- one looked like mother, the second one looked like father and then the third one was a mixture of them both. _It's a bit poetic_, she thought sometimes.

"Yeah, I kind of struggled to find inspiration for it”, she told them picking at her food, “but I think wrote it well though.”

Her mother perked up at that. "Hm...What is it about then?", she asked. "Oh, it's about a princess that gets taken by mysterious creatures and when the king asks for a prince to go and save her, the princess barges in the palace to show that she was able to do it herself! Isn't that inspirational?", she looked around the table, eyes shining with the hope that they find her story as moving as she thought it to be.

"You could have wrote a love story", her sister said. Perhaps it was wrong to react that way to the words of a five-year old, but she couldn't not cringe at those words. "No, I'm not interested in_ romance_ and therefore I am not interested in _writing _about _romance_",she said taking a bite of her food. It tasted well. 

She saw her parents share a look with Tenadal. _Oh no..._ "And does that decision have anything to do with the recent changes in your relationship with Danid?" her father asked.

Ugh. _Danid._ She rolled her eyes at that name. No matter how many Voidbringers there are on Roshar, he would always be her worst enemy. He was cousin Gavinor's best friend, so she was forced to communicate with him on ocasion. It didn't matter how much she wanted to go through his dark hair, or how much she liked how his eyes looked when they glowed in the sun, how he always found a way to smell nice, even during practise and how he tried to help everyone, because she will always remember the day he pulled her hair.

It was the first day she joined spear training. She was seven at the time and he was nine. He kept looking at her the entire time she was there, making a plan on how he was going to pull her braid. She never understood it.

Three years later, the two of them are at the top of their group that consists of thirty kids, both girls and boys. They're fighting for first place. They're always fighting actually, but first place gets you into _true _spear training in an older group. Wooden spears and all, but there is no holding back there. It’s rough, but it’s the kind of rough every single one of those kids wants to get to. If it wasn’t for Danid, she would already be in that group. But she isn’t.

That is why Evi doesn't have any relationship with him, other than the fact she hates him and she is sure he feels the same way about her. And it has nothing to do with the fact that he started talking to the girls in her class. The same girls who said they all want to marry him. That is no problem to Evi. At. All.

"Absolutely not! And there are no changes in our so called relationship, I hate him, he hates me. That's how it's been since forever and I doubt it's going to change", Evi told them all, stuffing pastries in her mouth.

"Oh and I'm assuming your eyes sparkle when the two of you see each other out of hate?" Tenadal asked. Shallan and Adolin both giggled at that. Evi pursed her lips. "_Oh please!_ You're eight, like you know anything about eyes sparkling!" she argued. "You're ten, like you know anything about hate!" Tenadal argued back. 

"Hey, hey, hey! Our loves, please do not raise your voices, all right?" her father asked, waving his hands to motion them to calm down. "But, I've got to give you, son, that was a good one." Her brother grined at that. _Ugh_.

"Whatever, I'm done with diner."

* * *

* * *

Stupid Danid.

No matter what she does, it seems like he is always there. She tried talking about something that’s important to her and they just switched the topic to something she didn’t even want to talk about!

Granted, her family did like to tease each other, but the feeling of anger and annoyance and just wanting to punch someone in the nose was still there! She did try punching her pillows, though that didn’t help.

There was a knock at her door. She cleared her throat. “Come in!” She quickly went over her hair with her fingers, trying to somehow comb it. The door opened slightly and locks of red hair became visible to Evi.

”Hey love. You seemed kind of upset there. Do you want to talk about it?” mother asked. 

Evi frowned. She didn't want to talk about it because, chances are, they wouldn't understand it! "Uh... no? I don't really think so", she told her. Shallan looked straight into her eyes and, to Evi's surprise, simply smiled. Oh no- Evi knew that smile- it was the kind of smile that said "Oh child, I know so much more than you, so now I'm going to lecture you on it!" 

"You know", her mom began, "you remind a lot of who I was even when I was much older than you are now. I mean sure, you may act older than other children at your age, but at the end of the day, you still have a lot to learn about the way you act on your problems."

Evi closed her eyes, already feeling the exhaustion of all hundreds of talks on the same subject. "Look, mom, I really don't think-" Her mother silenced her with a finger. "I'm talking now", she said exhaling. She sat on the edge of the bed Evi was already laying on.

"I had certain issues", she continued, "that I liked to simply bottle up. Keep to myself. Not say anything about them to almost anyone." _Bottling up issues_? Well, this was a part of the story she hadn't heard before. "What happened next?" she asked her.

“I met certain people. But even then, I didn’t like talking about. I was afraid. But, we’re your family and there’s nothing to be afraid of”, she said. Evi nodded, but then mother continued. “When you’re older, you will face bigger problems than us teasing you about boys and I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did and not say anything about how you feel. Please don’t be afraid to talk to me and your father, especially us.”

Evi nodded. That... that actually sounded like good advice. It made sense. Perhaps she could try it?

”I just... “, she started, “I really don’t like how you turned from the subject that is so important to me like my education to a subject you know I get upset about. I felt as if you believe my love life is more important than something that truly makes me who I am and that made me feel like everything I do, all the time I pushed myself to study when I wanted to sleep and all the boring books I read was all for nothing.” 

Wow. That kind of felt good to say out loud.

Her mother pulled her in for a hug and caressed her hair. “Oh my Evi... Your father and I do not think that, trust me. But I am sorry you felt that way. If it bothers you that much, I guess we will have to find something else to tease you about.” Evi raised her head to look at her. “Really? Thanks mom!” she hugged her.

Evi felt small and young in that moment, something she usually never wanted to feel like, but right now, she didn’t care. She felt happy and warm. Her mother’s arms held her and all was right in the world.

“Oh and I forgot to ask”, Shallan asked pulling out of the hug, “did you meet Nili?” Evi thought for a moment, deciding whether or not to tell her _how_ and_ why _they met this morning. “Yeah, we sit together in class now”, she said, eventually deciding on not telling her the details. 

“I think that’s great. She’s a very smart girl. I think she’s quite sweet. ”

”I know.” And Evi really did know. Nili seems like one of those people who are just so not- evil that you don’t really know if they’re human beings. But, then again, Kaladin is raising her so, she guessed there’s an explanation for such behaviour. Perhaps one day something will happen that’ll change it, but when you looked at her, you just knew, that Nili had a good heart. Sometimes you can just see it.

“Alright then. I’ll leave you to your book, but go to sleep soon. Alright?” She got up and walked to the door, but then stopped once she reached for the handle. She turned to Evi. “Hey love?” she asked. “Yeah mom?”

”I know that you’re growing older and all, but, uhm, can I tuck you in tonight?” Shallan asked looking all nervous. Evi flashed a toothy grin and nodded. “Yeah. Of course mom.”

* * *

* * *

After her mother wished her good night, Evi opened her book and started reading, but as soon as she turned the next page over, three people barged in the room screaming. A tall figure in blue, holding two little scremers to the side. Her father, Tenadal on his left, Kala on his right. 

He went over the big, oval room to put them both in their beds. Adolin tucked them both in, tickling them. He ruffled their hair and that earned him whining from his child that he “ruined the hairstyle”. Evi just found it funny that that child wasn’t Kala.

”Daddy, can you tell us a story?”, Kala asked. “No, I cannot”, he told her proudly, standing up to put his hands on his hips as if he was posing for a portrait. “Why nooot?”, Tenadal asked, eager to hear the bed-time story, but Adolin was already at the door. “It’s because you need to go to sleep. All of you”, he turned to Evi. “I’m looking at you, moody one”, he said pointing a finger at her. Now what did she earn to deserve _that?_

Tenadal and Kala giggled at that. “Good night my loves!” he told them. “Good night daddy!” Kala waved at him. “Good night dad”, Tenadal said, him and Kala both turning to their sides.

Their father walked out of their room, but he still turned his head to Evi. “Aren’t you going to say good night to me? he asked her. Evi turned to the side and closed her eyes. “Sorry, I’m not in the mood for it”, she sighed.

She heard her father laugh and she opened her eyes, just to find herself smiling as well. “Good night dad”, she told him. “Good night Evi”, he told her an closed the door.

_Good night to me,_ she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shallan has learned to talk about her issues and I just wanted to write that and I wanted to write her being a good mother, in spite of what has been done to her because she wants to be better than her mother and here, she is, she really is.
> 
> Adolin is just a great dad, that’s all. He’s like the cool dad. 
> 
> Tbh don’t care if words “mom and dad” aren’t supposed to be used in this period, because on Roshar you call your parents mom and dad! YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!
> 
> Anyway next chapter is I think going to be a bit longer, but I still like this chapter.
> 
> -xo, myships


	3. Nili

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An early christmas present for all of those who like this story. You’re a legend if you do *mwah*

* * *

"So, if we look at Jah Keved's earlier history, we'll see that it's filled with much more peaceful resolutions to political conflicts, unlike Alethkar's history."

_Yeah, that's sure not boring at all, _Nili thought as she wrote it down. "If we look at Jah Keved's fights and wars in it's later years we'll notice how most of their wars are in fact civil wars that end after two to three years at most", Brightness Navani explained. _Why do I have to know all this boring 'politics' stuff, _Nili thought. She was here because of some numbers she was good at multiplying after all, but she's been at these classes for two weeks and they only learned about that one time! This was getting really boring, truth be told. 

"The latest civil war was the one that put their current ruler one the throne. Who can tell me who that is?"

Two girls that sat near her table raised their hand. "King Taravangian", one of them said. "That is correct. Now, who can tell me the most important battle that happened the same year?"

Nili looked at the girls near her, the one that answered Brightness Navani's previous question flipped through the pages of some book Nili noticed she held on her table during every class. "Anyone?" Navani asked, her eyes roaming over the room as she searched for an answer from one of the girls. Beside her, Evi closed her eyes and sighed. She held her hand up in the air. "The Battle of Narak", she said.

Navani looked at Evi and the two nodded at each other. "That is correct. Girls, we seem to be nearing the end of the class, as our time fabrial shows. I believe that will be it for today."

Even though she just announced that the lessons were finished, she seemed as if she wanted to add something to it. "As for your history lessons, the next one will be in two weeks", Navani told them, "and until then I expect you to write a report about the Battle of Narak. I know the history asignments may be hard for many of you, but it's the only way you get to prepare for the grand test."

_Grand test? _Nili had never heard of it before. As she sat in confusion she realised all the girls started packing up. She turned to her left, but saw that Evi already left. Nili quickly packed her notes and hurried after her.

* * *

* * *

“Hey! Evi!” Nili called. “Evi!”

The older girl finally turned around. “Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Evi raised her eyebrows. “Oh. Alright, but just make it quick- I have spear practise soon.”

”Well, I wanted to know about this grand test... thing. I don’t know what it is.” 

Evi sighed and took her by the arm. “Walk with me, please. The grand test is what we all have to take so that we can go to our next level of studying. We go here for four years. The idea is that Queen Fen and Brightness Navani make a school for those who finish here. Girls from all over the world learn together. That lasts for three years. After that, we are free to be anything we want. Most of us, though, wish to start studying and working with greater scholars. We can work in the library with them, share our ideas and such.”

Nili was at a loss for words. All that was supposed to happen in such a short period of time? To be precise, she did what she knew she was good at and counted all the numbers. Four years here and three years there- that would mean that she could be studying with all these older women at fourteen! But, that didn't seem so amazing for her. They wouldn't accept _her_. And why would they? What could she possibly contribute to those meetings aside from fetching the tea? 

”So uh, you want to come?” Evi asked. “Oh, I’m not sure. I mean to become a full scholar at fourteen, I’m not sure-“

”Not that silly! I meant to the spear practise with me, to come and meet my friends. Besides, you still have time to decide the fate of your education.”

Nili needed time to think for a little bit. Kaladin had told her multiple times to meet new children and make friends. Though she felt a bit uncomfortable with it, she had to try. “Sure”, she told her.

* * *

* * *

After they went to Evi’s rooms so that she could change into some more comfortable clothes, they passed many people in the halls, all of whom Evi apparently knew. They all seemed so busy, yet took the time to nod or wave in her direction. They didn't seem surprised that a princess was wearing pants and a loose shirt while walking through the tower of Urithiru with a dark-eyed girl that perfered her dresses, thank you very much.

Evi told her the sprear practise was soon, but still took the time to show her all the importnat rooms as they moved. Once they passed through the library, she recognized the queen by the shiny crown that she graciously wore on her head, though she didn’t recognize the man who stood beside her. He wasn’t very tall, paler than the normal tan skin Kaladin had explained most Alethi had. He also explained that while Alethi had mostly dark hair, some of them had mixed hair, like Highprince Adolin. This man looked a bit like him...

“That’s Renarin Kholin!” she realized. She heard the story of the brave prince that fought of the Thunderclast when she was younger, when her mama would to put her to bed.

”Yes, it is”, Evi smiled. “My dear aunt and uncle are currently working on teaching men how to read, so they’ve been quite busy. We haven’t eaten together as a family in weeks.”

Nili simply nodded at the words. It was a bit strange to have a man learn how to read- her mama explained that there are certain differences in the way men and women should act. But then again, it also didn’t make sense to her. Shouldn’t people be able to do what they want as long as they don’t hurt anyone? 

“I heard that your grandfather learned how to read. I heard people had mixed opinnions about it. Did they not admire him anymore? Want to be like him as they used to?” Nili asked as they exited the tower and passed the guards outside.

“Oh,” Evi started, “people still want to be like him, in many ways. But as soon as they hear something they dislike, they seem to lose all respect in him, at least by the way they talk about him. I think that it’s unfair and it’s not because he’s my blood, it’s just the way I think about these things. It doesn’t feel respectable for a man’s opinions to change so often. These men, Nili? They don’t behave like proper men, they simply start acting as if they have the mind of horse crem, not even realising it.”

Though it sounded smart, Nili cringed at that one word. She heard her friend use bad words already, but to do it here- outside where all sorts of guards can hear her? It seemed so strange and improper. “Uhm...”

Evi seemed to only now notice the effect this word had on Nili. “Oh, yeah, sorry about that. See I started training with boys who often cursed when I was your age and I didn’t exactly fit in with other girls. I still mostly don’t. I just don’t think that the girls I know really get me.” Evi turned to her and lightly touched her on the arm. “Except you.”

She felt happiness rise in her belly. It was like some sort of flame-

_It started with a flame. First it caught the floor, then a table and then the curtains. “Mama!” she screamed. But she never heard her mother’s voice. She will only hear it in her memories now. It’s the only way she can._

“Hey, are you alright ?” Evi asked placing both her arms on Nili’s shoulders. She looked up since Evi was a bit taller than her. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just... really happy that I have you as a friend", she said deciding that those memories don't deserve to be brought back. 

Evi smiled at her fondly. “Well I assure you, it’s one that’s going to last. I called it a great friendship for a reason. Now, let’s go to your father and I’ll introduce you to some of my friends, alright?”

With a nod, Nili hoped it would all be right.

* * *

* * *

“Evi! You came!”, someone said. When she looked to see who it was, she saw a dark haired girl who was dressed similar to Evi. “Anita, of course she came, she’s the best among us. She should show it”, a boy said while he and the girl, Anita, approached them.

“Who’s this little darkeyes? Is she some sort of help?”, the boy asked. Anita lightly slapped him on the shoulder. Evi moved forward with a slightly held out arm in front of Nili. “Ritoh, please behave. She is my friend.” 

Ritoh rolled his eyes. “Evi, do not tell me you’re friends with this-“

”Oh, come on Ritoh!” a voice was heard. Nili turned and saw a tall, quite handsome boy walking towards them. Tan skin contrasted the pale blue eyes he had and messy black hair fell down to them. “People can be friends with anyone they want to, regardless of an eye color. Don’t you agree?” he asked pressing a hand to Ritoh’s shoulder. 

He jumped and winced in pain. “Ow! Yes, I agree.” He rubbed his shoulder which that boy now let go of. He turned and muttered a “sorry” as he was walking away.

Anita turned to them. “I am so sorry, Evi. Please forgive me! My brother doesn’t seem all himself today.”

Evi shrugged. “It’s alright, just makes sure the real Ritoh comes back to us soon.” Anita nodded and went after her brother. Nili and Evi looked at the only person left standing in front of them. “So,” the boy began, ”you arrived later than usual Kholin. And your friend’s name is?”

”Nevermind. Thank you for the assistance, but she’s off limits, Danid.”

Danid flashed a half-smile and stepped closer. “Please, Evi. I am not interested in pursuing a romance with Nevermind.” He turned to Nili. “I’m sure you’ll grow into a beautiful girl one day, but you are too young for me. Besides, I already have girls I can have a relationship with if I want one”, he told them, though the last part seemed directed at Evi.

She stepped closer to him, which seemed to be amusement to him, given by the smile that spread on his face. “Really? What are their names? Am I to call them left or right hand?” Evi asked, her tone higher than the calm one she used before. 

_What? Left or right hand? That didn’t make sense. Those aren’t people, those are parts on a body_!

Even though Nili didn’t understand it, what Evi said made the boy blush deeply. “Shut up!” he yelled making the people around them notice the three of them.

“You shut up! Who knows- maybe you’ll sound less stupid this way!” They were practically screaming at each other. Just like the last time she was in the middle of a fight, she felt so uncomfortable. Did she really have to witness this? Be right there and not know what to do? 

Many were looking at them, but one familiar figure stood out. It was Kaladin rushing to the scene.“Hey! You two!” he shouted. They both only now seemed to notice all the attention they had. “What is going on in here?” Kaladin asked. She knew many people who would quiver at the sight of Stormblessed talking in front of them with his voice raised, but she wasn’t one of them. She knew the real Kal. No one who had that man sing to get them to sleep would now be scared of him.

“She _annoys_ me, that’s what’s happening”, Danid answered. Evi looked at him and scoffed. “Well you annoy _me_ much more, trust me.” 

Kaladin nodded, his nostrils widened in what seemed to be an unusual mix of anger and, perhaps, disappointment. “Alright then. Since you two seem to know all so much about fights enough to start one out of annoyance, I believe you won’t need the kata. Instead, you’ll spend that time running across the training ground.”

They both gasped and Nili reacted in shock as well. The training ground was very wide and even though she knew they both must have been in a good shape, to run across the entire ground seemed like quite a challenge.

“But- but, Kaladin!” Evi started. “No, no, no! No buts! Evi Kholin I think I’ve made myself clear. Is that right Danid Bethab?” 

Danid looked at the ground. “Yes.”

”Good. Now of you go!” he told them._ Great, now Evi will be preoccupied with that. _Kaladin turned to Nili and crouched, grinning. “And how was your day? Did you have a nice time at the classes? Are you hungry?”

She didn’t want to talk to Kaladin. She wanted to talk to _Evi. _To share moments with her friend. Her only friend, to be truthful. The only girl to except her in a class full of girls whose personalities smelled of something rotten. Nili knew they didn’t like her because of her eye color, because she was different. But no matter how unjust that seemed to be, perhaps the most unjust thing about it all was that no one would ever know of that smell, because they all managed to hide it. They used their smiles as cologne and seemed to take a bath every now and then by remembering that sometimes they could try and do a good deed.

Not Evi. No, she wasn’t like that. When those girls seemed to attack, she not only defended herself, but also fought back. She’d fight back and win, yet know when to stop fighting. 

They were both still just children and had many paths to walk until they became more, but Evi possessed the kind of power over her words and herself that Nili knew many envy now and would envy in the future.

She knew she did, but it was in a way that Nili simply appreciated about her friend. That’s why she wanted to spend time with her. But, when she looked in her direction, she found that she was long gone. Off to go run across the training ground probably.

She turned to Kaladin. “Nope. Not hungry”, she said while forcing a smile she hoped Kaladin would think of as genuine. “Hey Kal, you’ve got practice! Perhaps it’s better if we talk later?” she asked him. She hoped Kaladin wouldn’t recognize the lying in her voice.

”Sure, just stay here while I train the kids. You can walk around, but only where I can see you. Is that alright?”

She nodded and went to walk on the training ground, find a place to sit. Preferably it would be away from everyone else, the world. She _did _desire to talk to someone, be able to connect. And yet she got this sudden and unusual feeling of wanting to be alone, to have time spent in silence, without anyone speaking to her. Ever.

It was something strange to her. Felt new and yet familiar. It felt similar to something, but she didn’t know what exactly. 

One thing she knew for sure in that moment was that she didn’t want it to consume her. Just like Evi, she would fight against it. Just like in the stories she heard of Kaladin. How he fought against what wasn’t right.

And this feeling was not. As she finally chose the place to sit, a bench on which she would watch her friend practise with spear, she also chose to shake of that awful, cold feeling.

Because it was just like Kaladin always told her- she needed to connect.

* * *

* * *

“I take it you and Evi are getting along well. I saw you two come in together today.” She had told him all about her the first time they met in class, but she had him promise not to say anything to her parents that she used a bad word. “How do you feel about it?” Kaladin asked.

“I feel nice”, she said mumbling a _now_ to herself. “She’s nice. I think I’m nice too, so I guess that’s why we get along. Can we get some sweets on the way to the barracks?” 

Kaladin chuckled. “Sure we can, but I have another practise with an older group, so you can either come back with Lopen and Skar now or you can wait for me here. You can draw something, if you want to”, he pointed to a bench in which she sat while she watched Evi’s practise. 

Remembering her decision she made earlier, she crossed the space between her and Kaladin and hugged him. Hugged his legs to be exact, since she was much shorter than Kal, but still hugged him never the less. She wanted to feel him- the safeness and the comfort his touch gave her. As she let those slip into her, she knew she won the battle she had fought with that feeling. She crushed it.

”I’m always going to stay with you Kaladin”, she said with her eyes closed and her head on his hips.

Kaladin let go of her arms and bent forward so that his head was closer to hers. “And I would gladly talk about how much I love you, but I’m going to need you to sit on that bench I showed you because the practise is about to start. You go there and perhaps study a bit and then we can go buy some sweets. Deal?” he asked extanding his hand. Nili extended her arm and nodded happily as they shook hands. “Deal.”

She watched both girls and boys who were still young, though older than Evi's group, do their kata. She wanted to do it with them- it was the same one she did with B Four this morning. Instead, she unpacked her satchel. The brown bag was a personal gift from Highprincess Kholin herself. She took out the history book from which they studied today and started flipping through the pages.

Perhaps she wasn’t sure if she wanted to become a scholar so young. Perhaps the thought made her uncomfortable, but from that day forward, for Nili, one thing was for certain- she would continue with the classes. Even though she didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up, she knew these classes were the begging of what she was meant to become. 

She was meant to be connected to these classes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did everyone think?  
I am perhaps the proudest of this chapter. I really like it so show some love if you do too <3  
(go hit that kuddo button)
> 
> If this is the last time I post until December 25, which is likely, then Merry Christmas to everyone that celebrates!


	4. Evi

Why was it that Evi couldn’t sleep? She felt as if she was ready to sleep for ages and yet after what seemed like hours and hours spent rolling from side to side in her bed, she was nowhere near falling asleep. She simply couldn't wait to wake up with bags under her eyes the next day! It was a shame, she planned to look especially nice tomorrow since she and her father were supposed to go to the tailor. 

She looked over at Tenadal who, one leg hanging from the bed and mouth half open, snored as if his life depended on it. 

Well, that was certainly one reason that kept her from getting her beauty sleep tonight. It didn’t help that Kala murmured words now and then.

_I need my own room, _she thought as she put on her gold slippers. Picking up her night robe and a book from a chair near the bed, she slowly, quietly exited the room. Evi wanted some tea. Brightness Teshav used to tell her about all kinds of different teas that she could drink if there ever comes a problem. If she wanted to stay awake, if she wanted to be less anxious or, in this case, fall asleep- chances were, there was a tea that could solve the problem. 

“Where are you going, princess?” a guard asked harshly. Evi raised an eyebrow at him. The Kholin blue uniform he wore didn’t suit the lanky, dark haired man who guarded her parents’ bedchambers. “To the main room”, she answered him.

“Young children like you should not be awake at this hour.”

”Please, I won’t be long...” She fluttered her eyelashes at him and gave a small smile, clasping her hands together in front of her and tilting her head to the side. She hoped this was a good enough play of an innocent little child who all grown-ups loved. She knew how it worked, she got irritated by those kinds of girls every day. Irritated by the fact that none of those girls were actually as kind and innocent as they pretended to be.

The guard nodded. “Of course princess. There are guards outside the main room. You have no need to worry.”

She smiled, in the most fake way possible, and walked away, feeling glad she was believable. Once she was near the main room, every step she took was slow and on her tip toes. Thankfully, there was no sign of Navani or Jasnah. They always scolded her when she sneaked through the tower at night. It used to be a regular daily activity of hers when she was younger, hiding between chairs or under tables during important meetings between the Knight Radiants or Highprinces.

Her father was always the one to find her. He never scolded her. He would simply smile at her and help her stay hidden. 

“Sneaking around again?” a voice spoke. Turning around and cursing in her head, Evi faced an old man who sat in a big sofa with several books scattered on the table in front of him.

Some believed that it was the black hair specked with grey, or the now tired blue eyes and broad shoulders that made the man stand out even in a room as grand as the one they were in. It was hard to compete with a room that had blades from all over the world hanging as accessories. A room that held so many memories of Radiants making the most important decisions for the future of their people. 

Others, the ones who had at least a bit of brain, knew that the man stood out not because of any eyes or shoulders, but because that man was one of greatest fighters, greatest leaders and greatest souls to ever walk Roshar. 

Dalinar Kholin.

”Yep. I was going to get some tea. What about you?"

He sighed and lifted his arm to show that he held a book in his hands. On the covers, it said _A guide to hair and braiding_. Her mother read it to her once, when she was little. She knew how to properly style her hair in different ways, but she liked to keep it down. She liked how different it was from everyone else's hair. Hers was _distinctive_.

It was unusual for a man to be reading about making braids, but then again, it was unusual for a man to be reading anything at all.Still, Evi was curious about Dalinar's interesting choice. "Since when do you care about hair?" she asked him. "I don't really," he said. "But yesterday, your sister came to me, crying because there was no one to braid her hair. She said everyone was too busy. I feel I ought to learn to do it the next time she needs it."

Evi gaped at him, impressed. "So you're telling me that both my parents, all my aunts and uncles and grandmother- they were all more busy, than _you? _You of all people?"

"Yes, I suppose so," he told her. A problem such as that one was could have easily been solved by having nurses braid her hair, but with Kala, that wasn't the case. She didn't like other people to touch her hair. She only allowed family to do that. It was strange, but Evi grew up in a strange world so she shrugged it off. "What's it called?" he asked her, nodding towards her book.

She quickly passed it to him and he turned the hard cover over so he could read it's title. _History of Alethkar's wars and peacemakings-_ _Book I _.Dalinar chuckled and placed the book on the table in front of them. "If it weren't for your parents' looks that passed on to you, someone could have mistaken you for little Jasnah." 

"Thank you, grandfather, but I am grateful for the parents I have. I wouldn't change them for the world," she told him. She turned and walked towards the main door. They were made of wood and were painted black. They had metal doorknobs and the details were designed by her mother. The decorations looked a bit like Pattern to her. He hadn't spoken to her for some time now which was odd considering that he usually never closes his mouth. Or whatever his words came from... Whatever, she didn't have the energy to think about the anatomy of a spren at this hour! She just knew that Pattern kept to himself these days...

When she opened the door, she found familiar faces guarding them. These guards... These were the ones who really, truly knew how to do their job. They knew when to knock on the doors and when not to disturb. Most importantly, they knew not to question Evi during her walks, especially at night. Compared to them, she may have been small, but she'd have a growth spurt soon. Just they wait...

"Good evening Skar. Drehy," she nodded at them.The two greeted her, as they usually do. They knew her since she was just a baby. When she was little, they used to play with her on the training grounds while she watched her father practise. As she got older, they never complained when she'd ask them questions about the best places to hide in the tower. Now, they'd secretly ask Kaladin how she was doing in the spear class, not wanting her to know. But Evi knew.

"Could you please go to the kitchens and tell them to prepare two-"

"Teas for better sleep?" Drehy said. His almost-bald head shone brightly and the spheres made it possible to see the last few blonde hair on it. She guessed children could do that for you. He and his husband were raising Drehy's nephew or so she heard. How her father managed to raise three of them amazed her. Probably a special hair cream from Azir... "We know the regular princess."

She smiled, in the most polite way possible and gently, quietly closed the door. Gavinor would always be their favorite, but she liked that they cared for her. "I ordered tea for you. Brightness Teshav told me it's to fall asleep faster," she said plopping onto the sofa. The cushions were white with a floral print on them and were soft. So, so soft... 

Dalinar handed Evi her book. "It's alright, but you go to your room and sleep right afterwards. You need sleep, child," he told her, already deep into his book and not bothering to look up. Evi rolled her eyes at the words. "Only if you go to bed as well. You're the grand leader and everything. You should get some sleep too." Dalinar finally looked up. "If you say so..." he chuckled.

* * *

* * *

The next day, after the five-hour visit to the tailor, Evi was more than happy to guide Nili to her room. She'd invited her to play with their dolls a week ago and Kaladin had to come over that night to talk Radiant stuff with the others, so they finally got the chance. They ran through the halls, giggling excitingly. "Oh Nili! I can't wait to show you my dolls. We can dress them up, we can change their hair, whatever you want!"

Nili slowed her pace. "Oh, I brought my own toys..." She stopped to open the satchel she carried and pulled out the stuffed soldiers and animals. The soldiers were a part of a collection of toys in which the goal was to collect soldiers from all armies. The ones with the blue uniform represented Kholin soldiers and such. Taking one more look in the bag, Evi noticed how Nili had no soldiers in a green colored uniform. Well, that was good. Sadeas was a bad man, she heard enough stories to know. She also heard enough stories to guess why Kaladin didn't spend his wages on stuffed Sadeas soldiers.

Evi pulled out a stuffed Ryshadium. Even as a toy, it seemed almost magical, like it didn't seem real or even fair to them that they lived in the same world as humans. The Ryshadium was dark and a beast- tall and wide, even for their standards. _Impressive toys..._

They entered her room and realised their playtime wouldn’t be spent alone. On her bed, in a heap of blankets and toys of all kind, sat Kala. She seemed blissfully unaware that they came in the room. “Kala,” Evi called.

She turned around. Her lips were painted, though clumsily and without any skill, in a dark red and her eyelids were colored blue. She had obviously been playing with mother’s makeup. “Did mommy let you use the make up?” she asked her while she went over the room to bring some towels. Kala shook her head.

As she went over Kala’s face with the white, wet towels, she paid attention not to disarrange the braids she made her that morning. She didn’t want to make her sister cry about her hair again. It was her duty as older sister to take care of her siblings and if something was important to them, it was important to Evi.

“You cannot take mommy’s makeup without permission,” she told her. “It won’t do you any good Kala. Just ask her the next time and it will be alright.” Over the years, she found that another one of her duties was to advise them. Perhaps scold them a bit, but ultimately guide them in the best way she knew.

She placed her fingers under her sister’s chin and turned her head towards the door. Nili stood there, quiet and calm. Her shoulders were bent and her arms were crossed. “Nili, this is my younger sister Kala. She’s five years old.”

She went over to Nili and grabbed her hand. “Kala, this is my friend Nili. She is a little older than you are, she is seven.” 

Kala beamed, the now clean mouth spreading into a wide smile. She always enjoyed meeting new people. “Hello!” she exclaimed as she jumped from the bed to give her a tight hug. 

Sometimes she enjoyed meeting new people too much.

But, Nili just laughed and putt her arms around Kala. Most Alethi didn’t like such strong displays of care, but her parents never seemed to think the same. They were fond of hugs and raised them to be as well. Public displays of affection was something the five of them had no problem with, unlike most of their family who suffered their behavior. Sometimes they cared too much about what was “proper”.

”Hello. It’s nice to meet you. Your sister and I are going to play with our dolls,” Nili told her releasing her from the hug.

”Oh! Oh, Evi can I play with you? Please, please, please!” she begged, making she sure she stretched out the last words. Evi shrugged and looked at Nili suggestively. 

“If that isn’t a problem for you..” 

She waved her hand. “It’s not, I’ll be glad to.”

* * *

* * *

Kala sang as she danced across the room with her doll. They followed her, jumping behind, their own dolls in their hands. They gave them names- princesses Rila, Dila and Vila. Perhaps they lacked creativity in that part of the game, but made sure to use the most of their imagination in the rest of it. They had built a tent out of blankets, pillows and chairs. It was supposed to be a castle, but it didn’t turn out right. Not enough material.

Evi didn’t let it’s imperfection distract her, because the truth was- it didn’t matter. She was happy and judging by the wide grins on their faces, Kala and Nili were too. They all laughed as they skipped from one part of the room to another. It was almost tiring and she felt as if she wanted to throw herself on her bed and visit her land of dreams. But, she was too excited to do something like that now. Too happy for it.

"And the princesses fought their own battle," she narrated. "Princess Rila fought her battle with a sword and shield. She ran bravely to the monster and cut off one of his three heads!" She jumped on the bed, extending her hand and waving it like she was holding a weapon. Theatrics were a big part of their games. 

"Dila didn't know how to fight with weapons and so she fought with words," Nili continued. "She challenged the monster on a duel- a mind duel." She was now alongside Evi with her feet on the mattress. They stood there, playing narrators with Kala who was looking at them and was patiently waiting for her turn. "Dila defeated him in an amazing battle of knowledge easily and the second head vanished." 

Kala quickly got up, with some help of them both, and quickly got to continuing the story. "And princess Vila defeted him with a song! She sang so good that the last head turned to their side! Thus, the three princesses defetaed their monster." They all took the feathers they pulled from pillows into their hands. On a count of three, they threw it in the air and jumped on the bed, celebrating the climactic moment. The bed squeaked, over and over again until another sound was heard. A crack.

In a moment, they all stopped moving. Evi even thought she'd stop_ breathing, _but she got herself under control. This was not a time for panic to take over her. Stepping off the bed, she ushered Nili and Kala to do the same and crouched so she could inspect the damage. It was just as she thought- they had broken the boards. She sighed and told them what they did and why the game stopped. Nili's eyes widened, not in shock- she was smart enough to guess what happened, she just wanted reassurance for it. Her face made that clear. She started pacing around the room. Kala seemed to be nervous too. "Evi, what are we going to do?" she asked, her voice shaking. Evi knew she didn't refer only to those boards, but the entire room. Their "tent", which had fell apart into a bunch of blankets, the feathers on the floor and the toys someone could hurt themself on. It was a mess. 

They had to tell someone to get the bed fixed. The mistakes they made would have to be discovered. So, Evi did what she knew she was good at- she took care of it.

"Here's what's going to happen. Kala, you're going to go and put the pillows and blankets back. Once you do that, change into your clothes for bed and wait for me to tell you the rest," she ordered and Kala went. No objections, just nodding her head and listening. Beside her, Nili had stopped pacing and now just stood there with a tired look on her face. Evi took her by her shoulders and shook her until she snapped out of it. "You need to get your toys, we'll help you do it, then go to Kaladin and say you're ready to go. I will do the rest off the talking," she said with the most assurance she could, yet Nili still looked worried. 

It was strange. How Evi could do well in these kind of situations, with a little panic, yes, but also be able to do what she needed to and she was friends with Nili who was... different. Different from the way Evi wanted to meet people or sometimes speak in class. The way she always tried to hide nervousness when talking to someone new. She was shy, that much was obvious. Through friendships like this one, Evi found the problem with this world was how it would put such fear into good people- kind and smart people, who deserve to be seen, yet skip the ones whose breath reeked of stupidity or evil the second they opened their mouth. It wasn't fair that Nili experienced this fear, especially now, when her ideas could do so much to help. 

But it was alright. She'll help her work on it, they have time. She didn't plan on going anywhere from her.

"What will you say? Will it be enough for them to forgive us for this?" Nili asked.

"Oh, they won't forgive you," she said and heard the gasps from both of them. "Because they will only be forgiving me, since you two didn't do anything wrong. _I_ was the one who jumped on the bed, _I _broke it and _I _took out the feathers. They'll have to come and check the damage, so this is the story. Alright?"

Nili opened her mind to protest. "Evi-"

"No, Nili, this is how it's going to happen. This way only one of us will get punished. That's better than three."

* * *

* * *

She walked back from the main room, her grandparents trailing behind her, in which she found the majority of the Kholin family to be. They all agreed to talk about Gavinor's upcoming thirteenth birthday and what it meant for Alethkar, which meant queen Jasnah had to be there. Storms, her aunt would lecture her the most out of her family for this, but if that was what needed to be done... 

She had previously walked Nili to Kaladin, who left saying that he didn't want to intrude 'family business'. Family business meant deciding whether to invite this brightlady and that brightlord to the celebration or what cake should be served. It's why Tenadal wasn't with them today, since he was with Gavinor the entire time, playing with swords and distracting him. It was a shame how Nili did not get to meet her brother. He was sort of annoying sometimes, but he was also smart and funny and was someone she'd be more than happy for Nili to have as a friend. 

Back in their room, her sister was dressed in a simple nightgown and tucked in her bed. The toys were now made into a pile and the blankets were in their place. It was nowhere near clean, but still somewhat organised and enough to save her of some punishment. When she got near the door, she looked up at Dalinar and Navani. She would have taken her parents with her, but apparently they were already in their rooms and the guard said they didn't want to be disturbed... Gross.

"Could you please save the scolding for tomorrow. Kala is asleep and we could wake her," she said. They shared a look, but pulled the handle anyway.

They entered, with Evi following just behind and both gasped. "Storms!" they cursed. _And they wonder where I learned it from_, she thought. Dalinar went over to the bed and knelt on the floor. Most men who were his age would barely be able to do that, or not at all, but he was different. The stormlight helped him stay physically tireless and could also help with making someone stay awake longer than usual.

Evi had her arms wrapped around herself and kept her head down. She couldn't face the disappointment she sensed from her grandmother. She already felt frustrated with herself and she didn't more of it, especially when she felt like there was no one who could make her think of herself otherwise. She heard Dalinar get up and walk towards Navani, who stood beside the door, her hand already on the doorknob. "We'll talk in the morning," Dalinar said as his wife left the room. He touched her lightly, on the shoulder, and she finally found the strength to look up. "You cleaned the mess well, Evi," he said and got out, closing the door behind him.

He obviously didn't mean it. Yes, it did look better than before, but what of the everything else? His words were clearly lies, but it did made her feel better, even for a bit. She appreciated his words, even if they weren't true. The only problem was that he didn't close the door completely, so she was able to hear everything in the hallway.

"That child!" she heard Navani say. "She always liked making trouble... And in front of her sister _and _Stormblessed's daughter? Did she even think of what kind of example she'd set for them this way?"

The anger was clear in her voice. She shut the door- she couldn't take it.

Slowly, making sure her movements were quiet, she opened her drawers and pulled out her bedtime clothes. Simple sleeping pants and a loose shirt. Another one of the things her family, specifically grandmother, thought wasn't proper for a girl. She put on the clothes and lay down on the bed. 

She hated how much they criticised her. She hated how judgemental her grandmother could be. She hated how she could never tell her the truth and what _really _happened. Most of all she hated the tears she let fall down from her face and the sheets. Why did she have to disappoint them? Why couldn't she just turn back the clock and try to do otherwise? Why wasn't it possible?

Beside her, Kala's bed creaked and she could hear the sound of footsteps. Her sister opened the covers and lay next to her, hugging her closely. It was a tight embrace, it was surprising how a small child like her had such a tight grip, but Evi didn't complain. It felt good to be next to someone and feel some comfort.

And in that moment, she decided- she didn't need her own room, like she had thought the night before. She needed _this_.

* * *

* * *

The next day she stood in front of her grandparents' rooms. Minutes passed and she just stood there, afraid of what could happen.

_The battle with fear is the greatest and most challenging battle you will ever fight. Don't lose. _One of the first lessons she had to learn. 

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the hard wood. Within seconds, her grandfather was at the door. Clean shaven and dressed in a Kholin blue uniform, he smelled fresh. He raised an eyebrow, but he let one hand fall from the frame and made a gesture with another, letting her now she should come in. 

With her head held high, she took every step with the knowledge that she will never stop fighting her fear. She will never give up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No matter how old or grown up we all (think) are, we will always need our family. Whoever you consider your family, whether you share blood or not, accept their help and support. It doesn't mean they think you're weak- it means they care. This is something Evi has to face in this chapter which I spent a lot of time on and I am very proud of! Haha
> 
> But no, really now- a lot of times when I'm going through some things, I don't like to accept help and now that I'm genuinely feeling good, I want to remind everyone how much support matters.
> 
> Anyway, be kind and well! Happy New Year everone! (a bit late lmao)


	5. Nili

Today is a new day.

Today is a new day.

Today is a new day.

Nili repeated the words to herself while tying the knots to her havah. She started wearing them only recently. It was more common to see a skirt or a simpler dress on a girl her age, and no only that, but her rank as well. But with her attending the classes for a month or so, people had started to get used to her, or at least tried to. The judging stares were still there, they only lasted shorter than before.

Still, she found some peace in the fact that it was now normal for her to wear her havah, designed specially for young girls. It didn’t cover the left hand, since they weren’t considered safehands until a girl got her monthly bleeding. Nili was only vaguely explained what that meant, but she was told it was something with making a girl into a woman. When she asked Kaladin about it during dinner a few moths back, he choked on his stew. Rock, who she called Rocky, had to slap his back. He told her they’d talk about it some other time.

“Today is a new day,” she said out loud. She had made a plan- she was going to have classes and then play at the training ground and study. It was simple, which meant it was less likely for her to do something wrong. Today, she’ll do what she has to and pay attention not to make a mess that someone else had to take the blame for. She hated how Evi would get punished for something they all did, it was not fair. Why was her friend so stubborn that she had to take the blame on herself? Why did she not at least tell Kaladin the truth? Sure, he was strict with Evi when she was in his training class, but he’d known her since she was just a babe. Surely the way he takes care of Nili must’ve been practiced on someone else in the past… Was the secrecy so necessary? It was what troubled her the most about the entire situation- the fact that she lied to Kal.

Was lying.

And she didn’t want to do that. Perhaps it was alright to not tell the truth to certain people sometimes, but was it right to lie to someone who you love and loves you? It certainly did not feel that way... She sighed and dismissed the thoughts. Maybe she should tell him, but really there wasn’t much she could do anyway to help- Evi would never let her. Either way, it would be best to decide later.

She walked out of her room. It was a small room that she shared with Kaladin, her part of the room divided from his by a curtain. Most parents and their children had separate rooms, but they made it work. As she was closing the door, she noticed a small, blue figure fly to her.

“Were you seriously planning on leaving without me?, Syl said. Nili smiled and jumped at the sight of the spren. “Oh! I didn’t see you all morning, I thought you left with Kal to that meeting?” Unfortunately, they rarely shared time together in the early hours of the day and would instead get ready for their own activities separately. He had Radiant meetings and she had classes to attend.

“Obviously not… Where do you plan on going right now?” Syl asked her, her voice cheerful as ever, but also enriched by a certain amount of protection and determination. Nili didn’t know if that was natural or something she got after spending too much time with Kaladin. Syl would often spend her time with both. Normally, she would follow Kaladin during the rise of the sun and then return to check on Nili.

“I’m going to go and have breakfast. Then, I’ll head for my classes and later go to the training grounds to play. After that, I will come home with Kal, then I will study, have dinner and then go to bed. It’s just the usual.” At that moment, Nili finished the next part of her daily routine, which was assuring Syl that everything was fine.

“Alright then. Just tell me if you need anything, my adorable little one!” And the routine would end with Syl coming back to her sweet, pleasant, old woman who wants to bake pies for all her many grandchildren- kind of personality. Nili watched as she flew away from her, greeting other bridgemen in the process.

Typical start of a day for Nili Stormblessed.

* * *

* * *

"Twenty multiplied by three hundred makes sixty thousand," brightness Navani asked pointing at the board. She had written all kinds of math problems on it for them to solve. "Is that correct?"

Who even thought of something as simple as that? "Pfft... Almighty no," NIli muttered.

Just moments after, everyone stopped writing and all the girls' attention shifted towards Nili. Even Mina, the girl who threatened to break her colors the first day, turned her face to her. Her eyes were wide and bushy brows raised. Why was every one of these girls so dramatic and interested in each other's lives? Didn't they ever hear of minding their own business?

But obviously this meant that her mutter was louder than what she intended it to be. That meant one more person heard her words.

She looked up at Navani, already forming an apology in her head, but when she finally decided what she wanted to say, the older woman beat her to it. "If you want to answer, you have to raise your hand and please, Nili, act more proper in the future."

She nodded her head hastily. "Now," Navani continued, "you can tell me why you think it's incorrect."

Storms. This would be the first time she answered one of her questions. She preferred to listen, rather than speak during the class. It was easier. More importantly, it was safer.

Nili took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "Well, twenty has a zero at the end and number three hundred has two. That means that the number we get has three zeros. Sixty thousand has four which makes it incorrect. We don't even need to check more, 'cause the zeros already aren't right." Navani smiled and gently nodded at the words. The satisfied look on her face made Nili more sure of herself and that what she said was said well. It also gave her a push to say more. "As for what I said earlier," she continued, "I didn't mean any disrespect, truly and I apologize for the confusion. I simply found the multiplication easy."

"Yes, it is alright. Your answer is accurate, but what stood out the most to me was the way you explained it- it was quite interesting, actually. Did you think of it your self or did someone else tell it to you?" the brightlady asked her. She had her arms crossed on her chest and she was leaning on the front of her table.

'I guess it was just logic, brightness," she said. "Nothing more."

After they did some equations and adittions, they had a five minute break before moving onto languages. They first repeated some basic words and phrases from all languages. Then Navani took out already prepared papers.

The way it worked was that Navani would give them each a paper with sentences written in Alethi which they would have to translate to another language. It was demanding and difficult, but it was what made it fun. "You all know how this works, girls. This time you translate to Thaylen," she said as she was handing Nili her paper. On the back, it said- _I need to speak with you after class_.

"You have twenty minutes. Begin!"

* * *

* * *

After they did the assignment, the majority of the girls started packing up. She waited for all of them to leave so that she could talk with her teacher. Being alone would make it more comfortable for her. “Uhm...Brightness?” she asked.

Navani sat at her table, already checking their papers. “Sit down Nili,” she ordered, not bothering to look up. Nili took a wooden chair that was near and placed it so she could sit across her. 

“You’ve done an excellent job on your translation,” Navani said. She took a some papers from the pile and passed them to Nili. “You can help me check it. It would do wonders for the lack of time I have today,” she said with a chuckle. Nili nodded and grabbed ink to begin.

_No. No. No. Definitely no. Does this word even exist? _She shook her head in disbelief, as well as disappointment in those she thought would get the writing right.

“Was this all you called me for, brightness?” she asked with her eyes still on the misspelled words on the paper. 

“No. It isn’t actually,” Navani asked and waved for Nili to stop and look at her. “Dear, you’ve been here for a month and a half.”

It was true. Time flew by so fast it was almost surreal. She guessed schooling could do that for you. Strange how only two months ago, it seemed as if time went _so_ much slower, like the sun needed ages to set after it rose. Now it doesn’t feel like even a day _truly_ passes...

She used to feel so empty. After everything that happened, she was surprisingly happy most of the time and yet it was as if she had a hole in her heart. The night her house burned down, her mama died and she met Kaladin, something inside her left. But it felt like that something, she couldn’t determine what, had somehow found it’s way back when she came here- to these classes.

Nili nodded and Navani continued. “I’ve noticed great progress from you. You are doing great, especially for your age. I’m sure you’ve noticed that others are a bit older, hm?”

She bit her lip and nodded again. She continued answering the questions in that way for some time. From what she understood, she had to tell Kaladin to come and talk to Navani, to pay attention on writing “rarely” and “surely” and should think about writing keteks in the future. 

“But, what I really wanted to talk about with you is how you obviously know much of the answers to the questions I ask in class, yet in a _month and a half_, this was the first time you spoke in front of everyone.” 

_Well... motioning with her head wouldn’t really be a good way to react to this._

”I know how some girls here aren’t the kindest souls, but I doubt they would laugh if you make a mistake in your answer,” Navani said with a caring look in her eyes. She obviously thought that's what scared her. But that wasn't it. Nili wasn't scared of other girls mocking her. No, she didn't want it to happen, but what really scared her is that if she made a mistake, she would laugh at herself. A twisted version of her would appear in her head and tell her things that aren't so nice. That happened in the past and she didn't want it to ruin what was now her present. The present was more than good and she had to hold the good things in her life close and protect them, because she had the displeasure of knowing good things could go away when we least expect it.

Someone who is seven years old should not know that. 

"That isn't why I don't answer. I'm just nervous, brightness," Nili said. If she couldn't be honest with Kaladin about what happened with Evi and Kala, then she could at least be earnest about something else.

Navani interlaced her fingers and leaned forward, like it was a touching theme to talk about. "Oh, but you shouldn't feel that way. You may hide your knowledge with silence, but you can't use silence on a paper. The things you write are extraordinary correct. Not just for your age," Navani told her and she fought off the urge to roll her eyes.

"I know, I see the grades you give me and I spend a lot of time studying. But it's like it doesn't matter. I mean, your ideas are also extraordinary. Do you ever feel nervous brightness?" she asked. They looked at each other straight in the eyes. Those bright, big violet eyes, beautiful even with the wrinkles around them, stared intensely at her small, dark brown ones. If she squinted them hard enough, she could notice a moment of vulnerability pass through Navani's.

"To say yes to that is unfortunately often times not the best choice in this world. But admitting your feelings is always brave. I will say this- when I was your age, I most definitely was. I spent most of my time thinking about what others thought of me, especially because it didn't feel like they would think much good. But things changed over time, very much. Nili, everyone is nervous, some are just more than others," Navani explained. But why are they? Why is she the one who is more anxious than others are? She asked herself that so many times and every time- no feedback.

"I think I just I have to wait on time to change me as well." It felt like the only option. That or she'd stay so shy and nervous her entire life.

Navani shook her head. "No, dear. Nervousness is something that we _can_ get over, just like we do every other fear. Besides, Nili, even if you do make a mistake, it is something alright and... it needs to happpen... in order for you to grow." Her mind seemed to wander off and her lips were drawn into a line. Her gaze was directed at Evi's seat. It was empty that day.

"If that's all, brightness, I would have to go." That seemed to snap her out of her thoughts as she finally turned her head back towards Nili and put the composed look on her face. "Yes, that is all." Nili grabbed her satchel from the floor, which was a tiny bit heavy. She moved through the rest of the library, making sure she didn’t make too much noise. 

As she was leaving the rooms, she to think about what was said to her. It made sense- when children learn to walk they fall so many times. But, they all learn in the end. Perhaps making mistakes is something like that. When toddlers plop on their behinds even when someone is holding their hand, it just shows that it's inevitable for everyone to slip up sometimes. In a way mistakes are the most important part of life, because just like we all breathe, we all make mistakes and it's something we all share, don’t we?

* * *

* * *

”So, let me get this straight- you think that jam is the same as juice?” brightlord Adolin asked. He stood beside her on the training grounds, one hand on the wooden fence and the other clenching a wooden shardblade.

”No, I just think there isn’t much of a difference. They are both made of fruit and basically taste the same,” Nili told him. They both watched as Kaladin’s group warmed up to do the kata. Adolin was there for his training, but he took a break to come talk to her. He always does that. Their discussions, like this one, were always interesting and he never treated her opinions like that of a child, but like anyone else’s. He was her friend. “It’s only that juice is liquid.”

Adolin hummed. He turned his head towards the gates and suddenly straightened. As she tried to find what he was looking at, she noticed a girl who stood at the entrance and looked at the ones who practiced. Her eyes were locked on the children Kaladin was supposed to train. “It’s just Evi.”

It was nice to see her, she wasn’t in class that morning. At first Nili just thought she was late, but that didn’t seem like her. Evi was always on time, sometimes coming long before the classes start. “Yeah, that’s why I’m surprised. She isn’t supposed to be here, she should be resting in bed.”

Nili furrowed her brows. “Can’t stormlight heal it, whatever it is?” Adolin looked at the ground. “It’s best if she tells you about it.” He lifted his palm up, a sign for Nili to raise her own and slap the flat sides together. After the gesture, he ran off to his daughter.   
  


Nili watched as they encountered. It seemed like they were fighting. More like arguing, then fighting over something. They definitely had opposing opinions on Evi coming there. Evi gestured towards Kaladin with her right hand, but Adolin took her arm and pushed it down. Then he crouched and held her tenderly by her shoulders. His lips moved slower than they had before and that seemed to soften the look on Evi’s face. Not long after, they hugged and went their separate ways.

Huh. When her mama was alive and they disagreed, then sometimes she would scold Nili on so many things even when she didn’t do anything wrong. It was like her mother held so much anger in her body that she couldn’t control letting it out, even on her daughter. And yet, here were the Kholins who acted completely different.

Nili noticed Evi coming to her. She waved at her and only when her friend waved back did she notice an addition to her outfit. Evi wore a safesleeve. That only meant one thing.

Evi stopped in front of her and pouted. “I got it.”

”Got what?”

”The bleeding! Besides, I don’t even know if I ‘got it’! Maybe I should say ‘I started’ or ‘it happened’!”, Evi talked, frustration about the subject clear in the way she threw her hands in the air. “And that’s just a simple way to explain it. If someone wants details, I would have to say how I crave for sweet food for some reason, my back hurts like they sent me to the Tranquiline Halls and I’m pretty sure the pain in my stomach this morning was what a person feels when they get stabbed.”

Nili tried to hold in her laughter- it was funny to see Evi, of all people, talk about something this way. “Well, how do you feel right now?” she decided upon asking.

Evi sighed heavily. “Better,” she said. “I took some medicine, so it doesn’t hurt anymore, but I still do not feel well.”

”Why are you here then?”

”Because, if I’m going to miss classes, I should at least try and not miss practice. I can at least watch. Do you think that’s a mistake?” she asked.

Nili considered, but only for a moment. She now knew a bit better. “I think it’s fine either way.”

Evi nodded, slowly as if the words held a deeper meaning for her. Like both of them have something to deal with when it comes to doing something wrong. She climbed on the fence. “Stay with me?” she asked, extending a hand to Nili.

”Always,” Nili said as she took the hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this??? I wrote a new chapter in LESS than a month? That’s new...  
Lmk if my writing has improved in since the first chapter, or if you’re an og, since my first fanfiction. Anyways!! I hope you enjoyed!!


	6. Everyone has a different story to tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter of Part 1!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’ve reached the last chapter, thank you for checking out my story! It means a lot to me <3

Navani wished she could rush through the halls of Urithiru. When they first moved there, all those years ago, scholars moving in between the rooms with a quickened pace wasn’t an unusual sight. The research was of great importance and therefore she was allowed to not act so composed all the time. How she wished she could come back to those times... 

But, things changed and now, she had to act calm and collected, even when she felt so stressed. The cooks didn’t prepare enough food, especially cake, for Gavinor’s birthday celebration that was supposed to start in an hour. The heir to the kingdom had turned thirteen. She wanted to help him make a speech or simply spend some time with him. After all this time, after everyone she had lost, did she not deserve _that_?

It didn’t matter, however. She had a task to do.

”Let the cooks know they need to hurry,” she ordered a servant. He hurried in the other way to do what was asked of him. Navani found some other maids and directed them towards the kitchens and told them to do the same, just in case._One job is done_, she thought. She would’ve gone there herself, but there were other things that needed to be done, such as getting ready. She still hadn’t changed out of her plain dress, something she could never wear to such a party.

She went on to order more servants before she opened the door to the Kholin room. In there, two people were arguing near the fireplace. It was Tenadal, Adolin’s son, fighting with his sister Kala. “I want to wear it Tenny!” Kala shouted. That child was so little, yet so full of life. So full of spirit and determination.

”No, Kala, get your own tie. This one is mine,” he told her. The boy was holding one end of a powder blue tie, while Kala pulled at the other. They both had tense looks on their faces, yet it was obvious that Tenadal wasn’t using much of his strength. The boy had been training with a sword for two years now and learning after his father. Still, it looked like they were near ripping it.

Just when Navani got ready to jump in, all of them turned their heads when someone yelled for them to stop. It was Evi, walking confidently in her sparkling red havah. Her hair was styled into soft curls. She looked so majestic.

“Hey!” she shouted, the look of elegance combining with a fearless energy. “You two! Sit. Now.”

Kala immediately let go of the tie and sat down. Tenadal, on the other hand, didn’t want to listen. “I am not as young as she is Evi,” he told her. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “And I am only two years younger than you.”

Evi put her hands on her hips. “And I did not stutter,” she gestured with her head to the sofa. With an eye roll and a groan, he backed down. Navani watched all three of them interact. It was strange to see someone as young as Evi handle her siblings in such a way. Within moments, she had her younger siblings hugging and reconciled. The tie had gone to Tenadal, who quickly went to his room to put it on, leaving Evi to explain to her sister why the tie was his. 

Her voice was so calm and patient with them. So different from what she behaves like with others. Kala went back to her room, jumping from one leg to another, excitingly. 

That left only Evi. Her eyes finally met with Navani’s. She didn’t know what to say to her and yet those moments of silence somehow held more meaning than all the words they exchanged in a long time. Storms, was this the same girl who made that huge mess all those weeks ago?

It was that same girl, because that girl was allowed to make mistakes. “I’m proud of you,” Navani let out. “And making mistakes is alright. Especially for someone as young as you are and I’m proud of you. All of you. Very much.”

Evi looked around, her eyes wide in genuine shock. _Storms why didn’t she say this to her before?_ Then, in a second, she had her arms wrapped around Navani. “Thank you, grandmother.”   
  
She put her safehand on the girl’s back, an intimate gesture saved only for close family, before she pulled out of the embrace. “I have to get ready now, but do you know where your cousin is?” Navani asked.

* * *

* * *

Gavinor Kholin, son of Elhokar, heir to the Alethi throne, felt scared on a day he was supposed to celebrate. 

He stood in front of a mirror, brushing his black locks from his eyes. His room was big, dark, with violet curtains hiding the light that threatened to come through the windows. “I don’t understand why you’re so nervous to do it,” Danid said from the other end of the room. They had a routine of always getting ready together when it came to big events. One of them would come to the other’s room with all the clothes he needed. Ever since they were nine, _together_ was the way they learned to do things. In fact, it was strange for them not to do anything in that way.

Gavinor opened the drawers and rummaged through them to find a good shirt. “It’s because today is when I will have speak with all kinds of lords without my aunt or uncles.” He opened his second drawer, but he couldn’t find anything. “I am just not ready to do it!” he shouted, frustrated about the fact nothing fits him anymore and what does fit, stinks because for some reason he sweats like crazy. He has red bumps on his skin and he’s confused all the time and how do they expect of _him_ to talk with such important people? 

How was he supposed to learn to be a leader?

In a moment, Danid was behind him, with a hand on his shoulder and calming him down. “Hey. I may not understand it, but I’m here.”

“I just don’t know why they think I’ll do good talking with those people.”

”Gav, _listen to me_,” he said decisively. “They only think that because they know you can do it. They believe in you.”

He thought for a moment. Yes, that made sense. His aunt had prepared him for this, his grandfather as well. He... he could do this. Looking up in the mirror, he found his friend still standing behind with a supportive smile on his face. They both nodded at each other. “Alright,” Danid began, “now get excited! You’re turning thirteen!” 

He raised an eyebrow at his friend. “I suppose you’re already excited that you’ll have a chance to dance with my cousin.” Danid turned to him. “Oh... Shut up!” he shouted, throwing a sock at him. 

They both laughed and in a moment, Gavinor Kholin, heir to the throne, felt happier.

Funny how we sometimes need just one person to do that.

* * *

* * *

It felt strange to Kaladin to go to a lighteyes party as a guest. Sure, he’d been to many, unfortunately, but it was always to guard the Kholin family. This was the first time he had other reasons to be at one since he attended Adolin and Shallan’s wedding. 

Little Gavinor was growing up. It felt like ages ago he first saw him, a frightened, crying little boy. It felt like it had been such a long time since the day he failed king Elhokar.

_No, _Syl said in his head_, you swore the Fourth Ideal. I will forgive myself for those I cannot save. __Don’t do this to yourself now._

And she was right. He said the words, but he has yet to truly accept them. “Kal, what are you thinking about now?” Nili asked. His daughter was the reason he was going. He had been invited many times to these gatherings, but he always found excuses not to go. This time, the Kholin girls asked for Nili to come. He couldn’t just deny her to go, but he also couldn’t leave her there alone and so he went with her. 

“Nothing much, just about when the prince was younger,” he said tightly.

Nili giggled as she skipped. “It still feels so strange that I used to dream of this and now I get to go where the prince is!” She turned to him. She had braided her hair and somehow it turned out quite alright. One half of her hair was let down so that it fell down past her shoulders, while the other half was braided and put into buns on the top. Her face looked fresh and he was relieved that she didn’t ask him to wear makeup. As far as he was concerned, not for another few years she won’t.

She wore her finest dress, one that Adolin bought for her as a gift once. As much as it annoyed him to admit it, the Highprince’s sense of fashion was useful at times.

“You know,” she continued, “I think this will be the first time I meet Tenadal.”

It was Kaladin’s turn to frown now. “Wait,” he said, “you’ve never met him?” She spent so much time studying with Evi or playing with her and Kala that he thought she ought to see their brother at some point. “Nope, never met him,” she told him.

“Well, you know Nili, I think you’re going to like him.”

* * *

* * *

Musicians of the Alethi court played _The old man’s tale _as couples from all of Roshar met on the podium to dance. The hems of havahs swished and bounced as the women moved while their partner held them by their waists. 

They would circle one another, their hands raised to the same height, almost touching. That near touch was what stood out to Danid. Some couples would look each other in the eyes and know what that little space between them meant. Dances like this one were slow, but they held so much passion and love behind them that it was crazy for someone not to see that.

He looked at the long table placed at the very front of the large room and searched for a particular face. His eyes went over the family, until he saw her. She looked so elegant. Her lips were painted a soft red that matched the color of her earrings. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen Evi so dressed up before. He already had on many occasions , yet every time he found himself surprised how someone could be so beautiful.

Danid stood up from the place he and his grandfather dined at. Highprince Bethab barely noticed his own grandson was leaving the table and was still eating pork when Danid left his curry chicken on the plate. The food could wait, but his question couldn’t.

He walked towards the Kholins slowly, but made sure to do it confidently. He was going to ask the girl he likes a simple question and she was going to give him a simple answer. Yes or no. Either way, there wasn’t anything scary about that, right?

Except he was wrong. He accidentally looked straight at queen Jasnah. She shot him a glare, probably knowing what his intentions were. Almighty, that was scary._ Do something you fool! Look away, look away!_

Danid shook himself and tried to look at someone else, anybody. Highprince Adolin raised an eyebrow at him. He shared a look with his wife before they both turned to him again._ Not her parents you... double fool! _What was he doing and why was he so bad at it? 

Danid cleared his throat. “Evi, would you like to share a dance with me?” he asked, with his hands behind his back, barely keeping his voice from shaking. It was easy for him to fight on the training grounds with her. It was easy to tease, to look at her and hope she notices and accepts it as flirting. But doing something he was afraid of? It wasn’t as easy as it is in the songs.

Evi’s soup was halfway to her mouth when she looked at him. She lowered the spoon back in the plate. “Oh...” was the only thing she said.

_Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say yes._

”I think you should do it cousin!” Gavinor exclaimed. Danid eyed his friend. Normally, he would thank him for helping with girls, just the way he helped him back, but this time was different. He wanted her answer to be real, not made up from someone’s suggestion. But, a second later, Evi practically jumped out of her seat. “Oh well! If the birthday boy must insist!” 

As she walked to him, he noticed a genuine smile appear on her face that she tried to hide. She pulled at his hand and seemed sort of eager to dance with him. Not at all like the girl who insists on hating him at practice.

He could get used to this girl.

* * *

* * *

“Tenny! Come quick, Nili and Kaladin came!” his sister shouted. Why she did that even when she sat next to him always confused him. Before he could even have a chance to answer, his little sister was already dragging him somewhere. 

“Help me,” he tried mouthing to his older sister, but she was too busy staring at Danid to notice. It was fine, as long as she didn’t claim to hate him anymore. He hoped she enjoyed her dance.

Tenadal noticed how the captain walked with someone at his side. She clutched to him, until her brown eyes lit up upon seeing Kala. Then his sister, in her true nature, flung herself at the girl. He was ready to make an apology, but this girl didn’t seem bothered by Kala, unlike other people in the past.

Kaladin pulled her out of it. “I’m going to be in the room. You stay with them, Nili.”

So, this was Nili.

Tenadal took her in. Her hair definitely stood out- most Alethi had wavy hair, yes, but hers was so _curly. _It was like every strand of hair was defined by a swirl. The havah she wore was a bright yellow, contrasting her tan skin tone. And her face was definitely-

“Pretty,” he let it slip out of him. It didn’t appear as if she thought much of it, but he couldn’t risk anything. _Think! What would mother do with a word game?_

“Uh... pretty nice to finally meet you, Nili.” He extended a hand. “I’m Tenadal, I’ve heard a lot of great things about you.”

Nili shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” She quickly walked away with Kala. It was a shame, he wanted to talk to her more. He turned around to see where she went and was lucky enough to see a glimpse of her face.

Storms she was pretty.

* * *

* * *

“You know,” Adolin began with a glass of wine in his hand, “I always knew she would cave in to that boy’s affection.”

The Majority of their guests had left the feast. It was understandable- the party had started hours before and the night was getting late. Shallan had previously left to their rooms, saying she was feeling tired. That meant he was the one in charge of putting the children to sleep. Their bed time was soon, but not one of them looked tired. 

His son was chatting and laughing with his uncle, Kala was with Nili, eating a cake and his eldest was still spending time with Danid. He felt glad that she finally did something about her little crush, other than deny it.

”I didn’t, I thought those two would keep fighting forever,” Kaladin said. He was sipping his wine as well, something he rarely ever did. A glass of violet at that. 

He leaned towards Adolin. “Did you talk to Evi about what might happen when she turns fifteen?” he said, almost as a whisper.

Adolin swallowed hard. This was not the time to bring that up. He wasn’t ready for that conversation with his daughter and she was too young to hear it. 

“No. I’m not sure I can even do it.”

”Adolin, you have to tell her before she finds out for herself... If there’s a chance she has to lead a battle at that age, she needs to hear the truth from you.”

_I_ _know_, he thought. _But I have to let her grow up a little more_. 

* * *

**End of Part 1 of _The Stormlight Academy_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... how does everybody feel like with that ending???
> 
> Part 2 will begin soon so stay tuned!  
-xo,myships

**Author's Note:**

> at first this was supposed to be an adolin free story, but he is too much my favorite character ever to not be included
> 
> also little evi kholin was also not supposed to be a part of the story when i got to her part, but now her roasting some rude alethi girlies is like my favorite part
> 
> alsothe stormblessed family is the cutest ever (if it turns out all darkeyes dont have a last name i will kms)
> 
> leave kuddos and comments if you liked this  
-xo, myships


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